During protests that were started after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the police detained a person connected to the attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Pakistani military in Rawalpindi, according to ARY News.
According to the sources cited by ARY News, the suspect, who has been identified as Idrees, has been detained by the police for his alleged involvement in the attack on the military’s General Headquarters (GHQ). The sources added that the detained suspect, who was recognised in social media recordings, was a member of the local government. On the other side, Javed Akram, a former PTI member of the Punjab Assembly (MPA) from Toba Tek Singh, has also been taken into custody by the police.
Family members of the PTI leader claimed that Akram’s son and daughter-in-law were also arrested from the premises of the Lahore High Court (LHC). The arrested people were involved in the arson of the Corps Commander House, according to a statement by the police. The situation changed as a result of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s (PM) order for the police to detain all of the offenders and attackers accountable for the destruction and arson at the Jinnah House and other military and civilian sites within 72 hours.
“All the culprits, planners, instigators, and attackers involved in the vandalism should be arrested in the next 72 hours,” stated Prime Minister Sharif, adding that “This is a critical task that requires swift action to ensure the safety and security of our citizens.” Earlier on Saturday, the caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab formed a Joint Interrogation Team (JIT) to investigate the arson and vandalism at Corps Commander Residence, aka Jinnah House, reported ARY News.
During the review meeting, the Inspector General (IG) Punjab provided an update on the state of peace and security, which was presided over by the caretaker CM of Punjab Mohsin Naqvi. As a result, the caretaker CM formed a JIT to look into the vandalism, arson, and encirclement at Jinnah House and other government-owned buildings including the General Headquarters (GHQ).
The caretaker CM gave the JIT instructions to look into the incidents and write a complete report that would be given to the government. Geo-fencing will be put into place in all places that have seen vandalism and arson in the meantime. . Meanwhile, the individuals involved in violent activities such as siege, looting, and destruction in the Jinnah House and at GHQ were identified with the help of CCTV footage, ARY News reported.
The caretaker CM gave orders to step up efforts to prosecute all criminals. He claimed that the Prosecution Department had been instructed to ensure that all cases were concluded fast and that all criminal prosecutions will take place in ATCs. According to Mohsin Naqvi, neither a criminal nor an innocent person will be spared. According to ARY News, the law will not permit anyone who harm the military’s facilities and Jinnah House to elude justice and every perpetrator would be hauled before a court with facts and proof.
The Punjabi chief minister further said that there would be no tolerance for criminal behaviour and that force would be used to thwart the sinister schemes of criminal organisations. Notably, a sizable PTI supporters held massive violent protests across Pakistan following the arrest of the party’s chief Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court. Hours after his arrest, the mob barged into the Residence of Commander Corps Residence and also into GHQ.